Sasuke Sempai!
by Akuma-Chibi
Summary: How does the age of one pinkette change the Naruto time-line? How does the loss of one child, change the way one daughter is raised? Or how the little girl turns out, as well as those around her? Full Summary Inside!
1. My Dearest Child!

**Sasuke-Sempai**

**Summary: The Haruno family had a miscarriage the first time they were to have a child, and when Saki Haruno becomes pregnant two years later, she gives birth to a baby girl with petal pink hair and bottle green eyes, Sakura Haruno. How does age change the Naruto time-line? How does the loss of one child, change the way one daughter is raised? Or how the little girl turns out?**

**Anime: Naruto**

**Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure**

**Rating: M**

**-x-x-x-**

**My Dearest Child**

**-x-x-x-**

_The skies trembled with thunder and flashed with bright bolts of lightning. Rain ambushed anyone unlucky enough to be outside. Tearing at the night were cries of anguish and a broken heart. A woman lay outside the gates of the village hidden in the leaves, next to a man who held her close, grieving for his and the woman's loss as he tried to stop the bleeding from the brokenhearted woman's midriff._

"_**Saki, hang in there!"**_ He cried out over the thundering skies, rain fell heavily against them, mud splashed them where it did, rain stung at the revealed flesh of the man and woman. _**"...hang in there..."**_

Saki, the woman lying broken in his arms cried out her hurt, drawing the attention of passing guards to her and the young man.

"_**Do you need any help!"**_

The man looked up to see a woman with fang marks on her cheeks, hair soaked against her face and neck, clothes and ninja gear clinging to her.

"_**My wife needs help! We were attacked and they got her with a kunai in the gut...she thinks─"**_

"_**MY BABY!"**_ The woman cried out, tears staining her flushed cheeks, _**"Oh god it hurts! My baby~!"**_

The man stared helplessly at his wife, _**"Please...please help her!" **_He begged the woman who stared at him momentarily before picking the woman up and jumping off towards the village. He ran after her, not keeping up, but running in the general direction that led him straight to an entrance to the village.

"_**Identification and village authorization!"**_

He stared at a man who was leaning against the entrance, a pineapple styled ponytail in black that was dripping with rain, two scars running along his face. He was obviously not thrilled about working in the rain. _**"I-Me and my wife only have Identification, we lived on the outskirts of the Fire Nation since childhood, so we grew up in no village! Please, a woman with red markings on her cheeks brought my wife inside this village, I need to find her! She's hurt and with child!"**_

The man looked at him, and then looked up, _**"What do you think, Inoichi?"**_

The man looked up to see another man, brooding with his bangs soaked against his forehead and his long hair, a shade of blonde, messy with the wind and rain fall. _**"I think we should look up Tsume and see about this wife. So how about it?"**_

"_**How about what?"**_

"_**Come on Shikaku! You babysit the man; I wanna go see Ino,"**_

"_**What, you act like you are the only parent in this storm,"**_ His voice came out bored, but the look he gave was one of equal agitation to his friend._** "I wouldn't mind seeing Yoshino right now either, or Shikamaru, but as you can clearly see, we are still on duty."**_ He turned to the man who was growing weary, looking week and becoming impatient._** "This way."**_ He glanced up and his brown eyes met Inoichi's blue eyes, conveying the message between them without use of words. The message? _(You too! Bothersome...)_

He followed the two men until they were at a house, two stories with a larger compound next to it. He saw the woman walk inside the larger compound with another woman, this one wearing a nursemaid outfit. _**"...SAKI!"**_

The two men watched him run towards the woman, Tsume, as they called her. _**"That sounds like he's screaming for alcohol!"**_ Inoichi yelled over a loud blast of thunder.

_That night, a life was lost and a family mourned._

_Two eyes never to see._

_Two feet never to walk._

_Two hands never to feel._

_One mouth never to speak._

_One heart...never to beat again._

_That night, a woman...lost her first born child._

_**It was a sad and dreary night in the Village Hidden in the Leaves...that night, the young couple, Saki and Hayato Haruno, became residents of Konoha, to be protected and watched over till this nightmare no longer haunted them.**_

**-x-x-x-**

**(1 Year, 5 Months Later)**

**-x-x-x-**

Saki sat against the wall in her bathroom, a washcloth in hand as she wiped her mouth. Her face pale from the painful retching she'd just been put through. Her pink hair tied up and out of her face, a sickly pale lined her brown eyes as she tried not thinking about what had happened, instead, she tried breathing techniques to calm her stomach.

_**~KNOCK~KNOCK~KNOCK~**_

Her eyes glanced to her side, the bathroom door was open, which obviously meant it was her front door, but moving meant upsetting her stomach again. "C-coming!" She stumbled to her feet, arms over her stomach as she forced the gagging feeling down and concentrated on the front door. She placed her frail hand on the doorknob, but before she could answer the door, a wave of nausea rushed over her and a dizzy spell forced her to release the door as she fell to the floor. Her eye sight blurred before darkness took her to oblivion.

**-x-x-x-**

**(An Hour Later)**

**-x-x-x-**

Saki's eyes fluttered open, she groaned and shut her eyes immediately soon after. The blinding light above her made her only too aware of her surroundings.

"Saki, you're awake!"

"Y-yeah...could you...dim the light?"

"Ah, right!"

Saki opened her eyes again and looked to see Hayato standing by her side with a relieved smile on his lips. She assumed he'd been the one to bring her there, though why he would knock...she didn't know, or care really.

"I was so surprised to hear you'd passed out."

"Hear? Who brought me here?"

"Oh, don't you know? It was─" He was going to continue when Tsume walked in dressed in a white long lab coat.

"Out," She told Hayato, "I need to talk with Saki alone."

"Ah...uh, right." He kissed Saki against the cheek before leaving the two ladies alone.

"..."

"Tsume, is there a problem?"

"...Mmm, no, well...not yet. You are with child."

"AH! How!"

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much and lay─"

"NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

Tsume held her hands up in defense, laughing at her friends flushed face. "I know, I know."

"Tsume, you told me that─"

"That the chances of you ever giving birth again, with the injury you received that night...was slim to none. None obviously departed the building a few weeks ago."

Tears formed in Saki's eyes. "You mean it...I'm really..."

"Mmhm," Saki's hands rose to her stomach and she felt tears fall against her cheeks. Tsume moved to her sighed and placed her own hand on Saki's. "You're going to be a mom."

Saki laughed her tears away and hugged the older woman.

_**At twenty she lost her first child to a miscarriage due to an attack on her and her husband; now, once more at twenty-one, she was pregnant, and if luck was on her side, she'd give birth to a healthy baby somewhere after she turned twenty-two. All she had to do was tell Hayato.**_

**-x-x-x-**

**(7 Months Later)**

**-x-x-x-**

Inoichi stood outside the birthing room in the hospital, watching his friend pace back and forth down the hall. Shikaku had fallen asleep sitting against the wall with his son, Shikamaru, in his lap and Inoichi's daughter, Ino, sat next to a large dog, pulling on its ears. Chouza, another friend with porcupine like hair in red spiked down his back, a heavy set fellow with an even bigger heart, had his son in his lap; Chouji was the boys' name. The trio was only two years old, each having taken an immediate liking towards one or the other. Ino liked Shikamaru, Shikamaru liked Chouji and Chouji liked Ino. Yet...well...yeah...

Hayato glanced as another friend walked in, this one the youngest of the group, being only nineteen years old, Kakashi walked up to him and grinned.

"You're late."

"I was on my way here and got lost on the road of life."

Hayato withheld the urge to strangle his young friend. "THE ONLY ROAD OF LIFE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKING WAS THE ONE THAT LED YOU HERE!"

"...right, how is she?"

"Still in labor,"

"See, so I haven't missed anything since you all got here three hours ago."

"Grr..."

"Sure you did." Inoichi grinned, "See those marks on the floor? You missed three hours of Hayato pacing."

"The climax of the night."

_**~AHHHHHHHH~**_

Every head snapped up at the cry; Kakashi was first to the door, with Hayato next to him. Inoichi, Chouza and Shikaku who'd been woken by the loud cry of pain, were left to watch their kids.

"What happened?"

"Ah, the initial birth of the child." Tsume smiled, "She's beautiful," She handed the baby to Saki, pink faced and wrapped in a white blanket after being cleaned by one of the nursemaids.

"She's beautiful Hayato!" Saki smiled, sweat left a sheen across her brow, bangs and pink strands of hair clung to her heated, sweaty cheeks.

"..." Hayato moved beside her and smiled at the baby she held. A fuzzy head of light candy pink hair and a small child held in the woman he loved arms. This child was a premature baby, being born a month early, so she was small, but she was beautiful.

Saki looked up and smiled, "Kakashi, come look."

"..." He didn't move, "I shouldn't."

"Silly, why not. Hayato and I had already discussed this, but if anything happens to us...we want you to take care of her. You've always been there, you know..." She handed the baby to Hayato who grinned, walking to Kakashi before holding the baby girl out.

Kakashi stared hesitantly before who took the baby and held her carefully in his arms. "Next I'll be babysitting her."

"Hehe, it won't be that bad." Saki smiled; he stared before smiling himself.

"No, I guess it won't be."

_**It was too soon for the family to celebrate, for only three weeks later, Hayato Haruno died on a mission to the Hidden Village in the Sand. He left his wife and newborn daughter, in the hands of Tsume, Kakashi, Shikaku, Inoichi, Chouza and the rest of the Village residents, wishing only for their happiness as life left him.**_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Hope you all enjoy this chapter, Ill update soon!**

_**NEXT CHAPTER!**_

"_KIBA! My Kiba! __My Kiba!"_

"_She's so little; I just don't know...four years old...seems too young."_

"_Sakura! Be careful!"_

"_Is she alright?"_

"_She won't train for such things! I won't let her!"_

"_Sakura, you'll get hurt playing with those!"_

"_I will be Ninja too! Kiba be Ninja, Papa be Ninja and 'Sume be Ninja!"_

"_My little girl..."_

**-x-x-x-**

**NEXT TIME**

**-x-x-x-**

_**I WILL BE NINJA!**_

**-x-x-x-**


	2. I WILL BE NINJA!

**Sasuke-Sempai**

**Summary: The Haruno family had a miscarriage the first time they were to have a child, and when Saki Haruno becomes pregnant two years later, she gives birth to a baby girl with petal pink hair and bottle green eyes, Sakura Haruno. How does age change the Naruto time-line? How does the loss of one child, change the way one daughter is raised? Or how the little girl turns out?**

**Anime: Naruto**

**Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure**

**Rating: M**

**-x-x-x-**

_**I WILL BE NINJA!**_

**-x-x-x-**

_**Years passed and Saki had become protective of the little girl, her miracle child. Sakura was now four years old, but was no taller than a two year old toddler. She was reckless, always getting into trouble, and always doing the opposite of what her mother would tell her. The reason? One yellow haired, blue eyed boy could prove more inspiration than anyone else in the village hidden in the leaves.**_

"_HAHA! YOU LOSERS!"_

"Sakura, come inside sweetie..." Saki said gently, taking her daughters hand as the rambunctious trouble maker known as Naruto skid past them. Two ANBU nin chasing after him for one reason or another.

"...Fox-Kun..."

Saki sighed, watching her daughter pull away as she turned to see Naruto and what he would do this time. The boy was a good kid, and Saki knew that, but he was also a bad influence. "Sakura, inside...let's go."

"No! Fox-Kun~!"

"_Huh?"_

'_Great...'_ She could see the boy doing a complete one-eighty on the nin chasing him and running between them and back up to her now crying daughter. She had heard the village ladies talking about the boy being evil or some nonsense. No matter how she looked at him, he was just trying to get attention. Apparently, some stuff had happened, and their fourth Hokage had died in sacrifice before sealing a fox of some kind inside the boy. Sakura had also heard, or at least, she'd heard that Naruto was a _fox_...not what was said, but that's what she heard.

"Sakura-Chan!" The blond shouted cheerfully.

Saki smiled, he really was a good kid. She watched the two nin stop behind him and stepped up. "May I ask what has the village on it's toes so early in the morning?"

"...forgive us for the intrusion, Saki. Naruto was placing graffiti all along the school and hospital walls."

"And it takes two ANBU to catch one six year old?"

"..."

"Haha, their too slow to catch me!" Naruto said from where he sat with Sakura in his lap. She was curled up against the boy as if he were her teddy bear, the same way she was with Shikamaru and Kiba. Choji always shied away from her outgoing affection and then Ino was always the one who would coddle her, instead of it being the other way around. There were other children, but they were so quiet, they never played with the other kids. Sasuke, Hinata, Shino and Neji were a few...

"Look, I will get Naruto to clean the walls, just leave him be for now."

"Saki─"

"She said to leave him..."

The nin turned and nodded, leaving Saki, Sakura and Naruto to stare at the man who'd cut one of the nin off.

"Kakashi, it's been a while, how have you been?" Kakashi looked lazily at Sakura before turning to Saki, "Better, now that Tsume isn't barking down my throat about her dog..."

"Well...they usually keep their dog's purebred...and your hunter dog...he..." Saki smiled, "He made a new litter of friends for the Inuzuka clan..."

"Yeah...I wasn't even there and I still got in trouble." He sighed, "Oh, Tsume told me to tell you to drop by the clinic. She said Kiba wants to see Sakura."

"Oh, that sounds like fun, right Sakura?"

"KIBA! My Kiba! My Kiba!"

"It's settled then...um..." Saki smiled at Naruto, "Would you like to go with us, Naruto-Kun?"

"...Nah, I have to clean up the Graffiti..." He smiled sheepishly, his left hand scratching awkwardly at the back of his head.

"Then come by later tonight, we will treat you to dinner, okay?"

"YEAH!" He helped Sakura up before taking off to clean up his mess.

"...good kid...too bad no one wants to put up with him..."

"Well...I was thinking about that...actually."

Kakashi stared in confusion at the thoughtful look on Saki's face before realization hit him. "You're going to ask if he would like to stay with you...aren't you..."

"Sakura has a large room, I could place another bed in there easily...he needs a family, Kakashi...and besides, Sakura really cares for the boy...he like a...rebellious older brother...i guess..."

"Can you really handle two kids?"

"...we will see."

Kakashi shook his head, "That's not the right answer. This isn't something you can just give up on; you need to be ready for the responsibility. Talk with Naruto, when you know you are sure..."

"Alright...ah! Hey now," She flicked him in the forehead, "What do you think you are doing acting more mature than me!"

"Just sayin'..."

She pouted, "I'll be going now..." Turning, she picked up Sakura and left.

"Kashi! Bai-bai!"

He waved to the little girl before running a hand through his silver hair and disappearing.

**-x-x-x-**

Saki laughed beside Tsume, watching Kiba chase her daughter around the yard with the puppies in her arms.

"Oh my, she's quick..." Tsume grinned, "She'll make for a great Kunoichi, why not start get her started in the academy?"

"I couldn't...I mean..." Saki looked away.

Tsume placed a knowing and understanding hand on her shoulder. "You need to let go of the past Hayato wouldn't want you to cage the little girl. She needs to have a life too, Saki."

"She's so little; I just don't know...four years old...seems too young."

Sakura fell forward with the puppies only to be caught by Kiba who smiled and laughed. Sakura was quick to get out of his arms before running around the boy, placing the puppies back in their pen before taking off around the house with Kiba quickly following. She was fast, but it was more her endurance, the girls' stamina was astronomical for a four year old. She didn't seem to get worn out, she wasn't as easily made tired as other kids her age, and the fact that she was four and her son who was already in the Ninja Academy was six, and still too slow for the girl two years younger than he was, that was something to be proud of...but Saki...

"I think she'd be great with some training..."

"I don't know...I don't think she wants to be a ninja. If she did...she'd tell me..."

Tsume frowned, she knew well enough that the little girl wanted to go to the academy...but Saki never paid mind to that. "I see." Tsume smiled, watching Kiba show off to the little girl as he stood on his hands in front of her. Sakura laughed, clapping her hands before copying him. Walking across the yard on her hands, Tsume laughed out at the pout on her sons face. "You're a natural Sakura! Keep it up!"

"Mom!" Kiba frowned, "You're supposed to cheer me on!"

"Come on now, don't get sore. That's no way for a boy to act!" She gave a thumbs up and a wink; watching her son sigh before chasing after the upside pinkette.

"Sakura, can you do this?" He started to run at a tree before running up three steps and flipping backwards and landing on his feet.

Sakura fell onto her back, staring at the tree before standing. "I try now!" She ran forward.

Saki moved to intervene, "Sakura! Be careful!" Tsume caught her hand. Sakura ran a few steps up but instead of flipping backwards, she fell onto her back and hit her arm on a rock. "SAKURA!" She rushed forward and picked the small four year old up. "Sakura, baby...mama is here..." She cried.

"Mama, no~" She had tears in her eyes, but she still pushed Saki away, not wanting the overbearing attention that her mother continued to shower her with, over every little cut or scratch.

"Sakura, stop it! Do you want to get hurt?"

"Saki..."

"What!"

Tsume moved closer and smile, "Let's go inside, get something to clean up the scratch."

"...right...sorry I snapped..."

"Not at all."

Kiba followed after his mother and Saki who held the struggling Sakura. "Is she alright?"

"She'll be fine." Saki smiled, placing her daughter down on the counter top while Tsume got some bandages and antiseptic spray.

**-x-x-x-**

Saki watched her little girl play by herself in the front yard with a ball that she would bounce off a tree only for it to roll right back to her. Naruto was in school with Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji and the others...so even he wasn't able to play with her. Saki smiled, _'She'll thank me when she's older, when she is alive and well...while the others are risking their live everyday...'_

"Saki!"

Saki looked to the left of Sakura who was waving at a blonde woman with browns eyes. "Nanako...how is Ino?"

"She's okay; she's at school right now."

'_...even Ino...'_

"I see,"

Nanako smiled cheerily, "I can't wait to see how Sakura does in the academy. How about you? Tsume told me yesterday how she was going to make an amazing Kunoichi when she finally goes to school."

"_...that's not going to happen..."_

"Hmm?" Nanako's eyes were closed; she was listening, though her mind was still thinking about Sakura once she was trained up. "Oh, you mean until she's a little older, right?" Nanako laughed, "That's understandable though. She's so young, only for, and even then...she looks younger than that. So are you putting her in school on her sixth birthday or something?"

"No..."

"Oh? Well, I suggest no later than eight...or she'll be too far behind the other students..."

"_You don't get it..."_ Saki frowned, "You aren't listening!"

"...Saki?" Nanako's smile fell. "What don't I get? I'm listening..."

"Sakura isn't going to enter the academy...because she isn't going to become a Ninja!"

"Wha─"

"She won't train for such things! I won't let her!"

"..." Nanako frowned, "That isn't your choice to make!" She stepped forward and watched as Saki took a step back. "You can only give support, but the decision to be Ninja or not rests with your daughter! Don't think you can control her life forever, or she'll just grow up...she'll grow up hating you!"

"..." Saki looked away, "Please leave."

"Fine, but remember what I said, it's her choice, not _yours_."

**-x-x-x-**

The next day came and once more, Saki was watching Sakura play alone with her ball. Well, she had been alone, Kakashi now sat across from her with the ball held in his hand.

"...Kakashi?"

"Lots of rumors are spreading in the village about you caging Sakura." He glanced up and watched the woman as she frowned and took note that she'd been doing that a lot lately. "What is wrong, Saki? The other day you were talking about adopting Naruto, and now I hear that you are caging Sakura in this...suffocating embrace..."

"If that's why you are here, leave."

"I'm not leaving," He picked Sakura up and placed her standing on her feet. "Sakura, do you know what this is?"

"...Kuna!"

"Close, Kunai," He said, holding the throwing knife out to the four year old. She took it with small, nimble fingers. "Now..." He held his hand up as Saki made to interrupt, walking to a tree, he took out another Kunai and in a single motion, marked an **X** on the tree. "Throw it there!" He told her, "as if the tree was someone bad, and that person wanted to hurt you or your mom, throw it and protect your family!"

"..."

"THROW IT!"

"No!"

Kakashi looked to Saki who brushed past him only to have him catch her wrist in his hand. "Leave her!"

"Sakura, you'll get hurt playing with those!" She said, trying to pull away from the taller, younger man. "Let me go Kakashi!"

"Not until you understand! SAKURA!"

The girls head snapped up and she stared at Kakashi's one exposed eye.

"THROW IT!"

"NO! SAKURA, PUT IT DOWN!"

"..." In one graceful move, the knife was thrown, hitting just above the **X** in the tree.

"..." Saki stared at the knife embedded in the tree. Her eyes wide with disbelief, "Why...Sakura, that's bad...throwing knives, is bad..."

"Saki...ask her what she wants!"

"_...no..."_

Sakura smiled at the familiar blonde hair that was making its way towards her. He landed before her and looked at the knife in the tree. "Whoa...Sakura, did you do that?"

She nodded sadly, "I did wrong?"

"NO WAY! THAT'S AWESOME!"

She laughed when he lifted her.

"Yes, you did good," Kakashi nodded in approval. "Kiba and Naruto are going to the academy to be a Ninja...Sakura..."

"Yeah! I'm going to be Hokage! Believe it!"

"Believe it! Believe it!" Sakura yelled out cheerfully.

Saki watched the interaction between the boy and her daughter. "..."

"Me too!" Sakura said.

"What?" Saki frowned.

"I will be Ninja too! Kiba be Ninja, Papa be Ninja, and 'Sume be Ninja!" She laughed, "Fox-Kun be Ninja!"

"Yeah, we'll be the best Ninja!" Naruto exclaimed with a fox like grin. "Believe it!"

"BELIEVE IT!"

"..." Saki sighed, _'I've lost...'_

Kakashi placed an arm over her shoulder and gave a half hug, "Support her...and she'll be great..."

"_My little girl..."_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter two! Hope you guys are still with me! I'll update again soon! Keep in touch, review and tell me what you think!**

_**NEXT CHAPTER!**_

"_Stop treating me like a baby! I'm nine now and I don't need you to baby me anymore!"_

"_This is nothing..."_

"_WATCH OUT!"_

"_Oh...who are you?"_

"_What is that supposed to mean!"_

"_Uncle Kakashi! Train me in a special technique!"_

"_I wanted to do my best...so that she wouldn't worry about me..."_

"_I will be a Kunoichi! The best Kunoichi Konoha has ever seen!"_

"_DON'T CALL ME SHORT!"_

"_I will never give up..."_

"_FIGHT ME SERIOUSLY!"_

"_...Hyuuga..."_

**-x-x-x-**

**NEXT TIME**

**-x-x-x-**

_**A RIVAL IN YOU!**_

**-x-x-x-**


	3. A Rival In You!

**Sasuke-Sempai**

**Summary: The Haruno family had a miscarriage the first time they were to have a child, and when Saki Haruno becomes pregnant two years later, she gives birth to a baby girl with petal pink hair and bottle green eyes, Sakura Haruno. How does age change the Naruto time-line? How does the loss of one child, change the way one daughter is raised? Or how the little girl turns out?**

**Anime: Naruto**

**Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure**

**Rating: M**

**-x-x-x-**

_**A RIVAL IN YOU!**_

**-x-x-x-**

_**With every passing moment, a new obstacle impaired what little dream she had of the future. However, Saki also knew that each obstacle could not be erased from the timeline that had been set into motion long before her own birth or even that of her parents and their parents. This was all apart of fate, and she would take it in stride. Now, with the passing of five years, Saki is the proud civilian mother of two. Her daughter, Sakura, and her adopted son, Naruto; both of which had set their sights beyond any horizon seen in Konoha, with every intention of surpassing the Nin in their village, or...in Naruto's case, surpassing the Nin in his village and becoming the next Hokage...Believe It~**_

"Naruto~! Wake up!" Sakura cried out cheerfully as she shook her _older brother _awake. "It's time for school!" Sakura had become a favorite in the village for success, since she was trained by many of the greater Jounin of the village.

"Waaa~ I'm up, I'm up!" Naruto yawned loudly and sat up, pushing Sakura back gently to get out of bed and stretch. "Where's mom, she usually wakes us both up."

"Mom left earlier, she had errands. We have to hurry or we'll be late! Today is the day you are put into a team...Lucky!"

Naruto blinked blankly for a moment as he tried to clear away the sleep in his eyes. His sister was almost always the last to wake up in their household. He on the other hand, normally had no problem getting up. The difference with today? "I should have gone to bed on time, instead of staying up to get in a few extra hours of practice. I'm wiped out."

Sakura laughed, "Today starts the next chapter of our life, Naruto. Get dressed quickly." She ran out of the room and downstairs to eat breakfast, which was nothing special. A bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice was her normal breakfast routine.

She turned at the sound of footsteps running down the staircase. Smiling as he brother ruffled her pink locks, she quickly shook her head and laughed as her hair fell over her eyes in a ruffian manner. "Hurry up," She finished eating quickly before pulling on her shoes and leaving with her school bag over her shoulder.

Naruto shook his head as he picked the bowl up off the table and put it in the sink, downing a glass of milk, he grabbed a banana and his bag before following his little sister out the house.

**-x-x-x-**

Sakura walked inside the academy and made her way to her classroom where one of her closest friends sat reading a book of an unknown topic. "Hanabi~!" She was two years younger than Sakura, but the girl came to listen to the lectures despite not being allowed to participate in the class. The instructors had no problem with her listening in, so long as she didn't partake in lessons or tests and exams.

"Sakura, aren't you supposed to be in Hinata's class and your brothers?"

Sakura frowned, "Hm?"

"Haruno!"

Sakura's head snapped up and she looked curiously to her instructor, "Yes Sensei?"

"Go to the Advance class."

"...why?"

"Iruka needed another student, he had an odd number of students for a three man team and you have the highest scores next to the advanced class. I had to discuss it with the Hokage first, and while Iruka was initially against it, you know how to do most of what the advanced class does due to Naruto teaching you, along with the help of many other high ranking nin in Konoha, mainly Kakashi."

Sakura was, to say the least, shocked. She turned and ran out of the classroom, leaving behind a smiling instructor and curious Hanabi who turned back to her book without much thought.

Entering the room, she smiled as she saw her brother sitting next to a guy with black spiked hair and charcoal black eyes. Making her way to her brother, she tapped him on the shoulder and watched him turn curiously to her.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?"

The classes attention was now on her due to her brothers loud outburst, but she didn't care really. "Instructed to come here, can I sit in this spot, or are the seats assigned."

"Assigned, but no one sits there anyways, so you can take it. Oh, Sasuke," Naruto turned to the guy beside him, "This is my sister, you haven't actually met her yet, have you?"

Sasuke shook his head no, nodding his head in her direction, he didn't say much, but he showed his respect by inclining his head in acknowledgement.

Iruka walked in with a clipboard and what looked like a list of names on it. "Everyone, today you will be placed in groups of three, part of a three man team with your own teacher. Only a few of you will go on to be Nin, otherwise, you will return back here to retake certain courses. Now, pay close attention and I will call out your squad number and teammates. Squad Seven, Naruto Haruno-Uzumaki."

Sakura listened carefully as the instructor called out her brother's name.

"Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. Sakura Haruno," Iruka called, "While you will be participating as a member of a three man team, if you find this to be too difficult tell the team instructor."

"Will that reflect my team?"

"...well, while they would return to the academy under the circumstance that you can't perform to standard Genin level, that isn't saying we can't make them into a team at a later date."

"I will not be complaining, I will just get better that whatever level you see me at...until I surpass the _standard_ Genin level."

Iruka stared in stunned silence at the nine year old. "Right...Squad eight, Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburama...Squad nine, Tobio Mitarashi, Kino Sirashi, and Yanta Yamura. Squad Ten will consist of Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi. These are all the squads. Your instructors should be along soon to meet with you and talk with you, I wish you all luck. Sakura Haruno, if you could follow me, before you are allowed to continue as a member of Squad Seven, you need to pass the same test as the rest of the Genin."

Sakura nodded and followed Iruka out of the room.

**-x-x-x-**

Sakura walked into another room, the voice of her mom met her ears and she frowned as she listened to the conversation. Iruka was readying papers while they waited for the other instructors to come in.

"_She's too young; you can't really expect her to be ready for this!"_

"_The choice of Genin is Sakura's. Should she choose to partake in this exam, then she's obviously made the choice to follow her father's footsteps as well as her adoptive brothers."_

"_That is what I'm afraid of. She'll be killed! She's too weak to go on missions and such nonsense! She's just a child!"_

Sakura opened the door leading to the voices and glared at her mom who was standing in surprise in front of the Hokage. "Is that what you think?!" Sakura asked heatedly. "You think I'm weak! I'm some frail little girl that can't take care of herself...I will show you that I'm not. I'm stronger than you think."

"But Sakura, don't you want to do something better than this? Anything, a nurse, a doctor...you could save lives!"

"_This_ saves lives!"

"THIS KILLS!"

Sakura glared at her mother fiercely, a look her mom was unfamiliar with. "This isn't your choice,"

"You are my daughter!"

"Stop treating me like I'm a baby! I'm nine now and I don't need you to baby me anymore!"

Her mother stepped back, as if slapped. This was exactly why she was babying her daughter. She was only nine...only nine, for Kami's sake! She was going to throw her life away, and die...like her father...

"Sakura, the exam is starting, in here please."

Saki watched as her daughter turned her back to her and left to the other room.

**-x-x-x-**

Sakura gazed down at her new headband and sighed. She was a Genin now...but really, at what cost. Her mother, she loved her so much, but she was suffocating her. Not paying attention, she ran into something and looked to see Hanabi looking at her strangely.

"Why are you so dazed?"

"Ah...lost in thought. Hanabi, if you had to choose between being a Konoha Nin, or throwing the Ninja life away for your family, what would you choose?"

Hanabi tilted her head down in thought before looking Sakura straight in the eyes with those always emotionless eyes.

"I think it depends greatly on the situation. If being a ninja was damaging to my family, or would cause them harm in some way...I probably wouldn't. However, if it was because they simply didn't want me to get hurt or something silly like that...I would do all that I could to reassure them that I was okay and I would be fine. I would become a ninja, and train resiliently at being the best that I could."

Sakura smiled, "You aren't really seven, are you."

A small smile graced Hanabi's lips before it was quickly replaced with the normal look of thought and concentration. "You got into another argument with your mother, didn't you."

This wasn't a question. Sakura knew this girl well. She was extremely insightful, and more than her older sister, she was gifted with a sense of inner strength that Sakura had always envied. "Yeah...kind of."

"You okay?"

"This is nothing..."

Hanabi eyed her for a moment before nodding, "If you need to talk...you know my address."

Sakura laughed at that slightly. She'd be hard pressed to find somebody, anybody, who didn't know the younger girls address. Her family name was only known all over the Elemental Nations.

Watching Hanabi leave, she closed her eyes and headed back to the classroom. She opened the door and ducked under a falling chalkboard eraser, turning in time to see a hand reach out and catch it before it hit the ground.

"**..."**

"Kakashi-Sensei!" Sakura grinned, she was always happy to see him. He would occasionally watch her while she was still just a toddler and child. He had taught her more than this Academy could have ever. Not just fancy moves or being light on her feet, he taught her to stand up for herself. He taught her to make her own choices, with reservation to ones-self. He taught her perseverance...and she took it all in.

"Naruto..." Kakashi turned to look at the blonde, throwing the chalkboard eraser at the kid who jumped and flipped over his desk and out of the way of the eraser. He wasn't paying any attention however, to where he was stepping when he landed, and stepped on the corner of a chair, successfully tilting it and causing it to tumble and fall with him crashing into the desks scattered around him.

"Idiot..." Sasuke shook his head.

Sakura stared for a moment before turning to Kakashi, "Will you be our instructor?"

"That's what they told me...I'm starting to have my doubts." He eyed the dizzily standing Naruto who was rubbing at a sore back now. "We will see how tomorrow goes...for now, meet me up on top of the roof. We can all get..._acquainted_ there."

Smiling, Sakura and Naruto raced out the room where Sasuke made his way out the window and up along the building. The first to arrive was obviously Kakashi, with Sasuke next. Sakura and Naruto took the racing route, never the type to miss a contest."

"FIRST!" Naruto cheered and laughed.

Sakura sighed and pouted before sending a nicely executed sweep kick to her brothers ankles, bringing him down without much difficulty before walking up to Sasuke and Kakashi. "How about that 'acquainted' stuff you talked about."

Kakashi sighed, _'These two are going to kill me...or one another...whichever comes first.' _Shaking his head, he cleared his throat to gather their attention back on him. "How about we all introduce ourselves and tell everyone a little bit about one another."

"We know one another." Naruto commented as he sat cross-legged beside Sakura.

"...humor me."

Sakura frowned, "What should we say?" She brushed a lock of pink hair from her eyes as it fell into her sight with the gentle kiss of wind.

"Things you like, things you hate...your name might be a good start. Hobbies, if you have any, dreams and hopes for the future, if you have planned that far ahead..."

Naruto nodded, "Well, everyone already knows my name, Naruto Haruno-Uzumaki! I like Instant Raman, and training in my free time. I enjoy causing mayhem for the Hokage's personal Ninja squadron...Ha, that's always fun! I don't like being ignored, and I don't like being talked about behind my back! If someone's got somethin' to say, then they can say it to my face! My hobbies are training and trying different Raman, I also try to push myself past my limits...hearing things like, "it's too difficult, Naruto" or, "when you are older, Naruto" are the type of things I ignore and fight to surpass. Oh...I drag Sakura along to train too." Naruto grinned. "As for my Dream?"

Sakura turned her attention to her brother and smiled. "Naruto is going to be the next Hokage."

"Believe it!" He smiled as he held his fingers out in a V for Victory sign.

"...I see, that dream hasn't short-circuited yet, huh?"

"Not gonna happen!" Naruto stood up and pointed at Kakashi, "You and everyone else in this village will see that I can and will protect this village, with my life, for all that it may be worth. I will make the world see me for who I am...and not whatever they think I am."

"..." Kakashi nodded, _'He's grown rather impressively. Nothing like the way he would have had he still been left alone, I imagine.' _Kakashi turned to Sasuke next, "What about you, anything really interesting?"

"Sasuke Uchiha, there are few things that I like, and even more that I don't...my hobbies aren't up for discussion, and my goal is none of your business."

Sakura looked curiously at the older boy with the depressing look in his eyes. "You can't seriously think that you are going to keep to yourself forever, can you?"

"That's exactly what I think," He said in an _end-of-discussion_ tone.

"Right, let's wrap this up, you're next Sakura."

"Well, my name is Sakura Haruno...My hobbies are studying and training. If I'm not doing one of those two things, I'm almost always with Hanabi."

"The younger sister of Hyuuga?"

"..." Sakura frowned at Sasuke's vague question, "Well, the younger sister of _Hinata_. If that's what you mean then yes. Anyways, I don't like being told I can't do something, it only pushes me to do whatever I'm told that I can't do, even more. I like to think of myself as my own person, and I don't like the idea of being held back, not by _anyone_. I don't have any dreams or goals for the future. I like strawberries and flowers, and I like gardening...and art...I don't like screaming. Um...I guess that's it."

"What about you Sensei? Anything for the masses?"

Kakashi raised a brow at the rambunctious blonde, "Kakashi Hatake, I like stuff, hate stuff, have a few hobbies, no goals really, no dream for the future."

"**..."**

Sakura sighed but said nothing to challenge her instructor.

"I want you to all meet me on the bridge at seven in the morning, be there at exactly sevenm or don't bother showing up at all."

"Wait, do we need anything?"

Kakashi stood and shook his head negatively, "No, and don't bother eating either, you'll only get sick."

With that said, he disappeared.

"...Well, there you go." Sakura scoffed, "I'm going to go jogging, I don't want to go home yet."

Sasuke and Naruto both turned to Sakura.

"Wait, did you get into another fight with mom?"

She didn't reply, but then, she didn't deny it either.

"Sakura!"

"She wanted me to throw this team away, she was trying to talk the Hokage into taking me off the team, you and Sasuke would have also gone back to the Academy, Naruto!"

That shut him up.

"Why doesn't she want you on the team?"

"I don't know, she's always been against me being a Kunoichi. I think it has something to do with my dad."

"What happened to your dad?" Sasuke questioned curiously.

Sakura quickly countered with her own query, "What's your goal for the future?"

"..." Sasuke stood up and left the siblings alone and Sakura merely shrugged. If he wanted something from her, information no less, then he'd have to give something in return; an eye for an eye, or so they say.

Naruto sighed, "I'll see you at home then, but don't be out too late. Mom worries enough as it is, and I do too."

"Right, see you later!" She ran and jumped the building, enjoying the brush of the wind against her body before she braced herself and landed with practiced ease. "From treetops to rooftops, next...a mountain~!" Quickly, she took off into a run towards the forest and started jumping branch to branch in an attempt to let off some steam. Jumping the distance of one tree to another, she hadn't really measured the distance and was too far to make the jump as she fell into a roll on the ground before rolling into a stand.

"WATCH OUT!"

Sakura glanced back and watched a Kunai fly right at her. Quick reflexes and over a hundred mistakes with her own Kunai's and her brothers sometimes faulty throwing, had her back flipping out of the way of the sharp weapon. _'Way too close...!'_ She straightened back up and sighed before looking to see who had yelled. A girl she had never seen before stood with twin buns on either side of her head, and next to her was a boy with a green jumpsuit and bowl cut hairstyle. "Sorry, I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going!" She bowed low, showing her apology through her actions. She hadn't meant to interrupt them from their training.

"No, it's just as much our fault as it was yours. We should have been able to hear you coming."

"Yeah, you wouldn't be the first I've gotten past unnoticed...Kakashi-Sensei is always saying that I have the footfalls of a phantom." Sakura laughed a little. "I should be going though, sorry again."

She made to leave when a hand stopped. She turned to see a boy who looked much like Hanabi, the Hyuuga eyes were not hard to identify. "Oh...who are you?" She shook her head, "Actually, I don't care about your name,...where did you come from?"

"Who are you?"

"..." Sakura frowned, _'He ignored me.'_ Turning to face him completely, she looked him over before her eyes locked on to his. "I think I asked you a question first."

"Your sense of awareness is lacking, now who are you."

"Sakura Haruno,"

"...you should do something about that hair of yours, it's a menace. Complete devoid of any reasoning behind it."

Sakura wanted to kill him. She didn't know his name, she didn't even care about it; she wanted to beat this guy up! "What is that supposed to mean!"

"...the length is too long, it'll get caught on trees if it isn't tied up properly, or at least tied out of the way. The color is just a beacon for enemies. Like saying, "here I am, come and kill me"...you are hazardous to this village as a ninja."

Knowing it was pointless to argue with a Hyuuga, she just glared and jumped off into a tree before running to find her Sensei. She would make sure that boy regretted his words. After insulting her lack of _awareness_ and then her looks...he had to comment on her being a hazard as a Kunoichi...he had no right!

This is what she was training for, giving her life for. Not in the literal sense, but in that...she was risking her ties with her mom. She wouldn't let some kid she didn't even know tell her that she was a hazard.

"Sensei!" Sakura ran up the steps to an apartment and knocked hard on a door. It was pointless, she knew he never opened the door, so without even waiting for the door to open, she ran back out, climbed and jumped to the window on the third floor, and knocked again. "Uncle Kakashi!"

The blinds were raised and Kakashi slid the window open as he looked curiously at the nine year old pinkette. "Why are you so excited?"

"Uncle Kakashi! Train me in a special technique!"

"...go home Sakura. You need to get up early tomorrow."

Sakura placed her hand on the window to keep it from closing and looked up desperately at her Uncle. "Please...just train me a little, I need to get better..."

He sighed before stepping aside and letting her in. "Does this have anything to do with your mom? I heard about the dispute from the Hokage."

"...that...among other things."

"Tell me."

Sakura sat down on his couch and picked up one of the many books stacked on the coffee table in front of her. "I wanted to do my best...so that she wouldn't worry about me..."

"Understandable..."

"She doesn't get it though. She thinks she can control my every move. Dad died awhile after my birth...to a mission...and I am taking the brunt of it because now, all she thinks will happen is I will die. She seems positive that I will die."

"She's just worried. I have known them for a long time, Sakura...there is more to the story."

"Then tell me!"

Kakashi looked at her for a few moments before sighing, "You're mother, Saki, and your father Hayato-"

"Is that his name?"

"..."

Sakura blushed, "Mom never mentions him by name...just says "your father"...I didn't know his name."

Kakashi shook his head, "She is doing her best, Sakura..."

She didn't add anything to that, instead, she listened.

"They arrived at Konoha in less than ideal circumstances. Your mother and father had been attacked while Saki was pregnant..."

"They arrived almost ten years ago then?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Almost _twelve_ years ago...you should have been a younger sister, you should have had an older sister...but Saki had been injured and the baby had been lost to a miscarriage."

Sakura shook her head, she had never heard of this before.

"Saki was told that the chance of her ever having a child again were slim to none, and then...she had you, and she became protective of you...more than most mothers were, perhaps, but she was scared she might lose you...then she lost your father, all she had left, was you."

Sakura closed her eyes tightly..." I will be a Kunoichi! The best Kunoichi Konoha has ever seen!"

Kakashi watched as her eyes snapped open, a fire of determination burning brightly within them.

"I won't let her have any reason to be afraid anymore!"

With that said, she was out the window, gone. He just stared blankly at the book she'd dropped back onto the other books and shrugged his shoulders.

**-x-x-x-**

Sakura found the boy from earlier relatively easily. Jumping down in front of him, she stared him dead in the eyes before pointing a finger at him, "Fight me!"

"A short little girl like you won't be much of a challenge."

"Neji..." the girl said in a soft voice, as if reprimanding him for the jab at Sakura's petit form.

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT!" She hated that. She had always been small for her age, and it was annoying that _everyone_ seemed to enjoy noticing her lack in height. She ran at the boy and made to kick him, but he easily dodged her foot.

"You shouldn't embarrass yourself like this," Neji said.

"Just give up. He's too strong for you; you're just a kid..."

"Neji is indeed a gifted ninja, one of the best Genin in Konoha."

Sakura blocked a kick to her chest and pushed him back with all the force she could. She was small, and not really strong brute force wise. However, she was quick on her feet, and extremely smart. She flipped back and charged again, ducking left, twisting back, she delivered a kick to his shoulder before narrowly avoiding a knife hand strike to the back of her neck. She brought her fist back and clipped him on the cheek as he was quick on his own feet and jumped back. Both stared at one another for a good few seconds before Sakura finally spoke, "I will never give up..."

"..."

"My hair, my eyes, my size...choose what you will, and continue your hurtful remarks on my person, but I will continue to fight, I will get stronger, and I will become someone Konoha will be proud to call a Kunoichi of the Hidden Village of the Leaf!" Once again, the two were fighting. She could tell that Neji was only dodging, he wasn't paying any attention to her, was he really so good?! "FIGHT ME SERIOUSLY!"

"N-Neji...father wants...a-a word with you."

The fight stopped, everyone turned to see Hinata Hyuuga, the Hyuuga Heiress, standing nervously by a tree. She looked uncertainly between Sakura and Neji.

"If you will excuse me," Neji bowed politely, turning to his friends, "I'll see you both tomorrow at five."

Sakura watched him leave with Hinata following close behind. _"...Hyuuga..."_ She would do all that she could to prove to him that she would not be _hazardous_ to Konoha.

**-x-x-x-**

**ME: Hope you all enjoyed this...extremely long chapter, I'll update when I get the chance! LOVE YOU GUYS, leave me a review if you have the time!**


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